Learn Moroccan Arabic

The Arabic language is a Semitic language that differs from region to region within Arabic speaking countries and the Official language of 25 countries. Arabic cans usually be separated into three main variants: Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and Dialectal Arabic.

In Morocco, although official government communications and other public medias use Modern Standard Arabic, the language spoken by Moroccans is called Moroccan Arabic, or, also known as Darija.

This language is quite different from the Modern Standard Arabic and can be quite hard to express yourself on the streets if you don’t know some words in Moroccan Darija. To learn French is also a good idea, just at least a few words to get you through while in the country.

On these following pages, 31BEST will try to give you a glimpse of what Darija language is all about hoping you can practice it next time you visit Morocco. We will try to teach you the basic words of Moroccan Arabic, plus, we will teach how to write Arabic.

Learn how to write Arabic with us with a step-by-step guide to Write Arabic.

Moroccan Arabic Vocabulary Lesson (Sound)

This video offers a Moroccan Arabic vocabulary lesson which contains 160 most commonly used words in different topics such as: numbers, colors, phrases, nature, questions and much more. Try to memorize all of them, because they’re all important.

Learn How to Write Arabic

To know how to write in Arabic you need to know the Arabic Alphabet. Knowing the Arabic Alphabet is not hard but you need some instructions. Learn how to write in Arabic and quickly learn how to read in Arabic with this simple tutorial.

Quick information on the Arabic Alphabet

The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters;

The Arabic alphabet is written from right to left (the English alphabet is written from left to right);

Each letter has four ways to be written: single letter, letter initial position of word, letter medium position, letter final position;

Each letter connects to the next with the exceptions of “D”, the “DH”, the “A”, the “R”, “Z”, and “U”;

Question 1: What do you mean some letters connect and others don’t?

While writing in Arabic, some letters don’t stay attached to the following letter inside the word. Like per example the word BAB in Arabic means DOOR in English. The letter B connects to A, but A doesn’t connect to B. So for first lesson you have letters B + A, see below please.

Lesson 1: Writing Arabic – Word DOOR – BÂB

Letter A in Arabic

As you can notice, you have one A, two AA and three AAA. As you see, letters don’t really touch each other. So, this is what I meant by saying that some letter don’t connect to the following one.

Letter B in Arabic

Letter B, BB and BBB. You can notice that letters do connect and touch each other while writing, contrary to the letter A.

Word DOOR – BÂB in Arabic

Please remember that the Arabic alphabet is written from right to left. Here you can notice that B connects to A; A doesn’t connect to B and then, the last B alone, to finish the word BÂB – DOOR in Arabic. The letter Â is a long sound of A. So you almost read it like doubling the sound of A. BAAB = BÂB. Simple.

Lesson 2: Writing Arabic – Word HEART – QALB

Letter Q in Arabic

Letter Q, QQ and QQQ. This specific letter as a very distinct sound. The letter Q in Arabic is one of the most difficult in the Arabic Alphabet. You have to say Q but coming from the throat and almost choking.

Letter L in Arabic

Letter L, LL and LLL. This letter in Arabic has the same sound as the L in English. Nothing difficult.

Word HEART – QALB in Arabic

Please remember that the Arabic alphabet is written from right to left. Here you can notice that that all letters connect to each other. Q connects to L; and L connects to B to finish the word QALB – HEART in Arabic.

Word WASH – DO (as in DO YOU) in Arabic

Letters W + A + SH

Letter W or U in Arabic

Letter W, WW and WWW. As you see, letters don’t really touch each other. So, again another example of a letter don’t connect to the following one. Very important to know about this letter is that it sometimes takes the sound of W and sometime the sound of U. This is what we call in Arabic teaching, a semi-vowel; a letter with the characteristic of being a consonant and a vowel.

Letter A in Arabic

One A, two AA and three AAA. As you see, letters don’t touch each other.

Letter SH in Arabic

Letter SH, SHSH and SHSH. This letter in Arabic has the same sound as the CH in English but without the T (as you know that CH in English is read TCH. Hum, yes! Try to SHHHH! like you want to someone to shut up, that sh is the one from the letter SH in Arabic.

To be continue soon… Please add this page to your favorites and come back later.

Moroccan Darija, Why to learn it?

The word “Darija” itself means dialect. Darija is the Moroccan Arabic, and it is a dialect spoken in Arab areas of Morocco, and, spoken both by Arabs and Berbers. In Moroccan non-Arab regions, many people especially older man or women do not know any language but Berber. In general, Berbers know Moroccan darija but Arabs do not know Berber.

Moroccan Arabic is grammatically simpler, and, has a much more limited vocabulary compared to the classical Arabic. It has also integrated a lot of words from Berber, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

The Moroccan Arabic has a pronunciation that is mostly intelligible and non-understood to other speakers of the Arab area of the Middle East, but it is usually understandable among other North African dialects in Moroccan, Algeria and in some cases in Tunisia. Moroccan Arabic is highly influenced by Berber pronunciation.